Laxmipur, May 18: Two persons lost their lives in separate lightning strikes in Laxmipur block of Koraput district on Sunday afternoon.

In the first incident, lightning struck near Dalakhai Thakurani Temple, close to Talakaipadar Square. The deceased has been identified as Jamir Sheikh, a resident of Birbhum district, West Bengal.

Jamir Sheikh, who lived in Tikiri and earned a living by selling tin boxes door-to-door, was returning home from Laxmipur with his friend Abdul Rehman after work. When heavy rain began, the pair took shelter under a tree near the temple. During the Kalbaisakhi storm, a lightning strike struck Jamir Sheikh, killing him instantly. Fellow traders rushed him to Laxmipur Community Health Centre, where doctors confirmed his death.

In a separate incident, a student named Baublu Hikaka from Dumuri Padar village under Tayaput Panchayat was killed by lightning while grazing sheep.

Laxmipur Police have registered two separate cases in connection with the deaths and plan to send the bodies for post-mortem examination today.